Today's MOZEN: Not All Bad

Words and additional photos F LoBuono

It's hard to see anything good in our current situation. I mean, people are dying - all kinds of folk, great and small. There is much sorrow. It's gotten to the point that virtually all of us, if not touched directly, knows someone who has been. And, NO ONE is unaffected in some way. Certainly, it's ALL bad.

Or, is it?

With all respect and reverence to those who have lost a loved one, is it truly accurate to say that our lives have become all bad because of this terrible virus?

I prefer to believe not.

In life, when you're given apples when you wanted oranges, and you're damned hungry, you eat the apples.

Well, because of - and, certainly in spite of - there are things happening now that I've never noticed before, i.e. the apples.

In addition to the incredible acts of kindness shown by most people during these trying times, some of the more subtle, positive things have also emerged, particularly from the natural environment. Because of the need to virtually shut down our daily lives, vehicular traffic has become extremely limited, if not almost non-existent. With that reduction, the noise level created by it has nearly disappeared. So, I feel like I've heard the Spring return of the songbirds like I haven't since I was a boy - if ever. Mornings and evenings are now filled with the cacophony of avian music. I can even hear the gentle rain on my roof now.

The decrease in vehicles, combined with reduced manufacturing production and air travel, has also contributed to much better air quality. When the early Spring sun is shinning, the sky has been striking - crystal clear and, oh, so blue. The result has been stunning. It has been reported that the Himalayas can be seen from India for the first time in decades.

Venus

On the local level, the effect has been almost as spectacular. Visibility has been virtually unlimited. The night sky has been nothing short of astonishing. Venus, the Western Star, dominates the late evening sky. Just before full darkness she shines boldly in the western sky - a goddess, indeed. We have also been blessed with the largest full moon of 2020; the so-called Pink Supermoon. It shone so brightly over the Tappan Zee that it drew me to the river like a magnet. It was as if the moon grew arms, grabbed me, and brought me into her bosom at the river. I don't think that I've ever seen it bigger or brighter. It was a simple AND spectacular experience.

Pink Moon over the Tappan Zee

Spring is also reaching its peak. EVERYTHING is exploding, or just about to, in color. While sitting on my porch, in divine isolation, I noticed the incredible variety of colors being presented in the landscapes. People's gardens are bursting with flowers of all shapes and colors. This area is rightly known for it's Autumn splendor. But, perhaps for the first time, I'm noticing that Spring is equally spectacular.

South Nyack, NY

I believe this new awareness is do to two factors:

1. Isolation brings a new appreciation of what we can have rather than stressing over what we are missing.

2. We've been forced to slow down. So, we now have the time to enjoy the things that a hectic lifestyle prevented us from even noticing.

So, it doesn't have to be ALL bad, especially if we learn from our experience. I'd like to believe that it's not too late to implement at least some of what we have now come to accept. Let's pledge to slow down. It will give us the chance to truly appreciate what is, or at least should be, most important in life - family, friends, peace, tranquility, silence, and caring for the environment that nourishes all of us.

South Nyack, NY